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Sunday, April 17, 2011

IMM 27

Hello and welcome to another In My Mailbox - a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. In My Mailbox, or IMM, allows you to share with your readers some of the books that you've acquired lately. It's really quite fun and I look forward to it every week. Thank you Kristy for being so lovely.

And here are the books that are now keeping me company... I'm very excited!

Telephoto lens. Zoom. In a shutter release millisecond, Blake’s world turns upside down. The nameless woman with the snake tattoo is not just another assignment. “That’s my mom!” gasps Marissa.

Click.

Saturated self-portrait: Blake, nice guy, class clown, always trying to get a laugh, not sure where to focus.

Click.

Contrast. Shannon, Blake’s GF. Total. Babe. Marissa, just a friend and fellow photographer. Shannon loves him; Marissa needs him. How is he supposed to frame them both in one shot?

Click.

Chiaroscuro. Lightdark. Marissa again, overexposed. Crash and burn.

Talk about negative space.

Click.

I'd only heard a few things about this book before the sad passing of LK Madigan and since that I've heard nothing but praise for her and her work. I really like the sound of this book and can't wait to get into it.

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So Shelly by Ty Roth - Until now, high school junior, John Keats, has only tiptoed near the edges of the vortex that is schoolmate and literary prodigy, Gordon Byron. That is, until their mutual friend, Shelly, drowns in a sailing accident.

After stealing Shelly's ashes from her wake at Trinity Catholic High School, the boys set a course for the small Lake Erie island where Shelly's body had washed ashore and to where she wished to be returned. It would be one last "so Shelly" romantic quest. At least that's what they think. As they navigate around the obstacles and resist temptations during their odyssey, Keats and Gordon glue together the shattered pieces of Shelly's and their own pasts while attempting to make sense of her tragic and premature end.

I think the cover of this book is so pretty and it looks even nicer in person. I've seen this book around a lot lately and it sounds like a very interesting modern take on the Romantic poets. I'm intrigued!

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Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham - A teenager struggles through physical loss to the start of acceptance in an absorbing, artful novel at once honest and insightful, wrenching and redemptive.

On a sunny day in June, at the beach with her mom and brother, fifteen-year-old Jane Arrowood went for a swim. And then everything — absolutely everything — changed. Now she’s counting down the days until she returns to school with her fake arm, where she knows kids will whisper, "That’s her — that’s Shark Girl," as she passes. In the meantime there are only questions: Why did this happen? Why her? What about her art? What about her life? In this striking first novel, Kelly Bingham uses poems, letters, telephone conversations, and newspaper clippings to look unflinchingly at what it’s like to lose part of yourself - and to summon the courage it takes to find yourself again.

I remember reading a review of this during Jo from Once Upon a Bookcase's body perception and self-image month awhile back and it's stayed in my head since then. I'm really quite excited to read this one!

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Dramarama by E Lockhart - Two theater-mad, self-invented fabulositon Ohio teenagers. One boy, one girl. One gay, one straight. One black, one white. And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP. It's a season of hormones, gold lame, hissy fits, jazz hands, song and dance, true love, and unitards that will determine their future--and test their friendship.

I adore E. Lockhart. I've adored her Ruby Oliver books for such a long time and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks was at the front of my brain after writing about it recently on my blog and I knew that I really wanted to read more of E Lockhart's backlist. This one sounds quite interesting, I really do love books about the theatre, so I thought it'd be an excellent place to start.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don’t know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith’s final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

I really can't quite remember when I first heard of this one, but it's been on my wishlist for ages. Since agreeing to take part in the death and bereavement event in July, I've been quite keen to read books that deal with this subject. *I* won't be reviewing this book for that event, but nevertheless, I am still looking forward to reading it and reviewing it another time...

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Jane by April Lindner - Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past.

Part irresistible romance and part darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.

Ooh. I really do love the sound of this one. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books and I'm really looking forward to seeing how April Lindner handles this modern retelling. I love the cover art, very moody and atmospheric. This one will quite possibly jump to the top of my TBR pile.

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Sweethearts by Sara Zarr - As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also each other's only friend. SO when Cameron disappeared without warning, Jennifer thought she'd lost the one person who would ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she is popular, happy, and dating—everything "Jennifer" couldn't be. But she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they both are confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.

I have always meant to read a book by Sara Zarr, any book! I've been seeing her name around for years and I'm curious about her. Plus, I think the cover of Sweethearts is quite cute. I'm really not sure what to expect with this one, but I'm sure I'll have fun finding out! :)

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The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta - Melina Marchetta's brilliant, heart-wrenching new novel takes up the story of the group of friends from her best-selling, much-loved book Saving Francesca - only this time it's five years later and Thomas Mackee is the one who needs saving.

Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.

But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle's death.

And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.

I'm sure nobody is surprised at this one. Melina Marchetta is one of my all-time favourite authors and I'm super excited to read this follow-up to Saving Francesca. I adore the way in which Marchetta writes and her characters and especially the way she makes me feel as I'm reading her books. I can't wait to be swept away into something amazing.

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Those are the books that arrived into my house this week, what did you get?

9 comments:

I almost got Flash Burnout last week. It sounds so good. Hope you like it.

I watched Jane Eyre when it was on BBC something last year, heard there was a movie coming out this year (or next) so I bought the book. I'm still yet to read it, but the TV show was brilliant. I'll be looking forward to your review of Jane :)

Kate - I've heard interesting things about Flash Burnout, so I hope I enjoy it as well. I've always love Jane Eyre and will generally watch any new adaptations and so I'm always interested to hear of books like Jane.

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